5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 14:5:
Newari: “One year later Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, took control of the Rephaites of Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites of Ham, the Emites of Shaveh-kiriathaim and and the Horites from Mt Seir to the wilderness of El-paran.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “And on the 14th year, Kedorlaomer and his allied kings defeated the Refaimnon in Ashterot Karnaim, the Zuzhanon in Ham, the Emhanon in the valley of Kiriataim,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The next year, King Chedorlaomer and the other kings that were his allies took their armies and defeated the Repha people-group in Ashteroth-Karnaim and the Zuz people-group in Ham, and the Emi people-group in Shaveh-Kiriathaim.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
Verses 5-12 continue the first battle report. In terms of a connected narrative, the defeat of the peoples in verses 5b-7 is an interruption. Although the material in these verses may come from a different source than the main story, translators have to translate it and to weave it into the narrative in such a way that it will not confuse the reader or listener. One way this may be done has been given in the discussion of verse 4, where a restructuring of verses 3-7 is proposed. Another way is to preface verses 5b-7 with a statement that is drawn from the larger story. For example, verse 5 may begin “In the fourteenth year [or, Still another year later] Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came to fight the five kings. They began by making war against some other peoples. First they subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim….”
In the fourteenth year may also be rendered “After still another year,” “A year later,” or “Two years after the rebellion.”
The kings who were with him means Chedorlaomer and the other three kings or, as Good News Translation says, “Chedorlaomer and his allies.” We may also say “Chedorlaomer and the kings that fought on his side” or “… and the kings who were his friends.” Came refers to the kings coming from their distant kingdoms in the east to the land of Canaan. Subdued translates a verb that literally means “strike,” “hit,” or “beat,” and in this context “defeat in battle.”
In verses 5b-6 four peoples in five locations are defeated by the four kings. The route of the invasion begins east of the Jordan and moves southward. It then turns northward toward the Dead Sea to finally engage the five kings.
Rephaim is used in the Old Testament with more than one sense. In Isa 26.14, 19; Psa 88.10, the word is rendered “shades” and refers to “spirits of the dead.” In Deut 2.10-11 it refers to pre-Israelite inhabitants east of the Jordan and identified as giants. It is the latter sense that applies here.
Ashteroth-karnaim is probably a reference to the capital city of Og, king of Bashan. The city was located east of the Sea of Galilee. Ashteroth was the Canaanite goddess of fertility, and coupled with karnaim means “Ashteroth of two horns.”
Zuzim may be the same as the “Zamzummim” mentioned in Deut 2.20. Ham, which is not mentioned elsewhere as a place name, may be the ancient name of the Ammonite capital Rabboth-Ammon. Emim, according to Deut 2.10-11, is the Moabite name of a giant people who once occupied Moab. Shaveh-kiriathaim may be translated, as in Good News Translation and others, “Plain of Kiriathaim.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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